On July 20, 2017, BCDC unanimously initiated a process to amend the San Francisco Bay Plan to address the need to place an increasing amount of Bay Fill for projects to restore and enhance natural habitat. This amendment process is now underway.

Background Report: Policies for a Rising Bay

Policies for a Rising Bay was developed from March 2015 to June 2016 to evaluate the Commission’s laws and policies in light of novel threats to the Bay presented by sea level rise and to determine whether changes are needed to help the region’s advancement of appropriate resilience and adaptation actions. The Commission staff organized a steering committee composed of over 30 stakeholders representing public, private, and non-governmental organizations to ensure a broad and collaborative review of the Commission’s laws, policies, and regulations. Working together with steering committee members and other interested parties, the Commission staff analyzed BCDC’s existing laws and policies through one-on-one interviews, case studies, and a series of meetings and discussions. This process resulted in the identification of four overarching policy issues, where BCDC’s policies were found to be inadequate regarding risks associated with rising sea level:

Fill for Resilience and Adaptation - Habitat Restoration and Protection

Fill for Resilience and Adaptation - Innovative Shoreline Solutions

Environmental Justice and Social Equity

Adaptive Management

See the report for the full policy analysis and list of policy options suggested.

Background Information: Bay Fill Policies Working Group

In late 2014, the Commission created the Bay Fill Policies Working Group to examine potential policy issues and make recommendations to the full Commission regarding BCDC’s Bay Fill laws and policies and whether they need to be amended due to the need to adapt to rising sea level. After receiving input from a variety of stakeholders, the Working Group developed a plan for addressing multiple issues and policies that relate to Bay Fill that included a general discussion of the McAteer-Petris Act, the San Francisco Bay Plan and its policies, and focused meetings, separated into two overarching topics - habitat and resource-based policies, and those addressing the built environment. The Working Group completed its initial review of the habitat and resource-based policies, which are summarized in this report from May 13, 2016 .